Analgesic compositions comprising magnesium salts have been used to treat a variety of ailments as well as reduce the gastric irritancy often accompanying the oral administration of such analgesic compositions. U.S. Pat. 2,801,951 to Cooper, Jr. discloses the use of an analgesic composition comprising acetylsalicylic acid, citric acid, p-ethoxyacetanilide, caffeine and MgCO.sub.3 or Mg(OH).sub.2 /Al(OH).sub.3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,933 to Mudge teaches the use of a mixture comprising magnesium gluconate, stramonium extract and 3-(2-methylphenoxy)-1,2-propanediol to relieve headache pain. U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,980 to Rosen et al. teaches the use of a mixture of magnesium salicylate and choline salicylate as an analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic agent. U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,886 to Nicholson et al. teaches the use of phenylpropionic acid magnesium salts for the relief of pain, fever and inflammation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,166 to McClure teaches the use of magnesium 4-thiazolidinecarboxylate as an analgesic agent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,951 to Goudie et al. teaches the use of magnesium acetylsalicylate in conjunction with sodium bicarbonate as an analgesic having reduced gastric irritancy properties. U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,340 to Tobert discloses the use of a phenylbenzoic acid compound and magnesium hydroxide for treating pain and inflammation. Such compositions have employed magnesium salts for their solubility, absorption properties and buffering effects.
A deficiency of magnesium, i.e., hypomagnesemia, has been suggested to play a role in migraine headaches (B.A.
Altura, Magnesium, 4:169 (1985 ); A. Mauskop et al., Cephalalgia, 14:241 (1994 )). It had been shown that low serum ionized magnesium (IMg.sup.2+) levels were found in 42 % of patients suffering migraine headaches (A. Mauskop et al., Headache, 33(3 ):135 (1993 )). The magnesium salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid has been used to treat women with premenstrual migraine headache (F. Facchinetti et al., Headache, 31(5 ):298 (1991 )). Amino-chelated magnesium compounds have been used to treat patients with classic migraine headache (K. Weaver in "Letter to the Editor," Headache, 30(2 ):168 (1990 )). In addition, Mg.sup.2+ has been known to regulate the function of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (A. C. Foster et al., Nature (London), 329:395 (1987 )), which are essential for pain transmission.
When some magnesium-based compositions are administered to patients having migraines, severe headaches or other painful conditions, the slowing of gastric motility which often accompanies these conditions delays the absorption of any medication taken orally. Such a delay in absorption is often more pronounced with tablet than with liquid medicaments. As a result, the onset of action associated with such compositions administered to migraine patients is undesirably delayed, resulting in the prolongation of pain and discomfort to the patient. Thus, there remains a need for compositions which can be used for treating migraine headaches and which are rapidly absorbed and provide rapid onset of action.
In addition, because migraine headache is believed to be, at least in part, stress-induced, patients who suffer from migraine headaches often experience other secondary pain, e.g., muscle ache, joint stiffness, eye strain and jaw problems, associated with stress-related muscle tension. Where the patient is elderly or has still other painful health conditions, the combination with migraine and such secondary pain described above can be overwhelming. Thus there is a need for compositions which can be used for treating migraine headaches which contain analgesics or other compounds known to relive pain.
Moreover, oral administration of compositions comprising magnesium salts often results in the unwanted side effect of constipation, a feeling of bloatedness and short-term loss of appetite. Thus there is a need for compositions which can be used for treating migraine headaches which contain magnesium salts and do not give produce the above-described side effects following administration.
Citation or identification of any reference in this section shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present application.